• Loans to family members – the rate for long-term loans (more than 9 years) is only 2.95% in October. The author gives an example of a $100,000 loan from parents to a child and his spouse to buy a home: the parents could either collect annual interest of $2950 or they could forgive the loan (up to $52,000 of debt forgiveness per year) in whole or in part.

• Installment Sales — with interest rates low, more of the sale counts as capital gain than interest income (i.e., ordinary income);

• GRATs — noting that we have seen proposals to eliminate short-term GRATs, combined with low interest rates, the author urges consideration of a strategy “sanctioned by the tax code”;

• CLTs — Charitable lead trusts are more likely to pass tax-free assets to beneficiaries when interest rates and asset values are low. Given historically low interest rates and low asset values, lifetime CLTs are also worthy of consideration, particularly for charitably inclined clients.

Orange County estate planning attorney Darlynn Morgan noted that protecting our families is not just about estate planning. Making sound financial planning and ensuring all of our “financial ducks” are in a row is just another way to protect the ones we love if the unthinkable should happen.

For more information on whole family wealth planning and Newport Beach attorney, Darlynn Morgan, and Morgan Law Group, please visit her press page at http://www.morganlawgroup.com/in-the-press or call (949) 260-1400.

ABOUT DARLYNN MORGAN – California Will and Trust AttorneyOC Trusts Lawyer Darlynn Morgan and Morgan Law Group is a Southern California Probate Attorney / Estate Planning Lawyer / Wills & Living Trusts Law Firm Serving: Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego & all of Southern California